A Walk Through Time

The Mad Hatter Bistro, on Old Woodward Ave.

Jumping down the rabbit hole and appearing at the Mad Hatter's Tea Party, in the town of your childhood, is an incredibly surreal experience.

I traveled to Birmingham with a friend today, to have a real "tea party" at the Mad Hatter's Bistro.  We had seen it advertised on Facebook and it seemed like just the ticket to escape the doldrums of a mid-Michigan winter.  Birmingham is also the city I grew up in, yet it was nothing like the town I remembered.  

The Birmingham Theatre, where I first saw the opening of
Romeo & Juliet in October 1968!

That's not all bad.  It was a bustling environment, with lots to see and do.  We worked hard to find a parking spot, went in and out of shops, had our tea party, and scouted the old neighborhood.  What a treat this adventure was.

The house where I grew up - with the addition
of a bay window which we used to talk about putting in,
but never did.

But wait - the main goal of the adventure!  

The Mad Hatter's Tea!

The decor was right out of the the Lewis Carroll story - and we delighted in the tiny spaces and story-book ambiance.

We sampled a couple of different teas, and decided the white tea, Wedding Tea, was our favorite.

Cucumber sandwiches, egg salad sandwiches, crumpets, scones, fruits, pastry...what a lovely sampling of tea party tidbits.

With one more stop on the way home, we managed to miss most of the rush hour traffic and had an uneventful trip home.  It was so much fun to try something new, be away from the list of chores, and enjoy time together over a special tea.  I highly recommend a reboot in the location of your choice - and if you find yourself in Birmingham give The Mad Hatter a try.  But do call ahead for reservations.  It is a very small space.  

FYI - They do have a bar and traditional menu, as well.  Everything that went by looked good!